EGM²

"EGM²" was a United States-based video game magazine that was first published by Sendai Publishing from July 1994 to July 1998. There are 49 issues of "EGM²" in total. The magazine was a spin-off of the popular magazine "Electronic Gaming Monthly". Unlike "EGM", however, "EGM²" lacked a reviews section and had a greater emphasis on import games. Despite the superscript in the name, the official name of the magazine is said as "EGM Two" and not "EGM Squared."

History

The first issue of "EGM²" was in July 1994. The magazine lasted 49 issues with the last issue coming out in July 1998.

Starting in August 1998, "EGM²" became "Expert Gamer" (often abbreviated as "XG"), and the magazine's focus shifted away from news and previews to strategy and tricks. Despite the different name, "XG" continued "EGM²"'s numbering system. "XG" lasted for 39 issues until October 2001 (with the last issue being "XG" #88).

The next month (November 2001), "XG" morphed into its final form, "GameNOW". Although "GameNOW" maintained a healthy tricks section and occasional strategy guides, the magazine's focus shifted to in-depth previews and reviews. Skewed to a slightly younger audience than that of "EGM" (roughly 12 to 14-year-olds), "GameNOW" concentrated less on industry insider-type features and more on the actual video games, including numerous large screenshots and elaborate feature articles.

The numbering system was reset with the change to "GameNOW", and the final issue was #27 in January 2004.